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Default Sky
This is a '''quality article'. This means that this article has been approved as having high-quality content.'' The Default Sky is the default background of Roblox worlds assembled by six individual images found within the game files. It is present when a custom Skybox is not applied to Lighting. The Default Sky has been a Roblox feature since the earliest incarnation of the game. History The Roblox Default Sky has been updated a total of four times from 2003 to 2019. These four updates had no purpose other than to change and improve the aesthetic of Roblox. Each one of these updates changed all six assembled images found within the skybox. All four skyboxes differed drastically from eachother in one way or another. First Incarnation ( 2003 - 2009 ) The original Roblox default sky was acquired in 2003 and used in the earliest incarnation of the game, known at the time as Dynablocks. This default sky came in a download from an old website called G3D, a website that was meant to be a source of all kinds of free assets for game developers to use. These assets consisted of products such as images, sound effects, particles, fonts, scripts, and more such products. Many assets found in the original incarnation of Roblox came from this website. In fact, the entire engine that the original version of Roblox used was a G3D product. The default sky that was used in Roblox from 2003 to 2009 was one of these products. Appearance The 2003 Roblox Default Sky is the most low-quality and grainiest skybox that Roblox has ever used to date. It consists of six images depicting a sky full of yellow and white cirrus clouds, with some clear blue spots scattered around. The images form two sides, one above, and one below. These sides are separated by a foggy white seam in the middle of four images. There is a drastic difference in the appearance of the side above and the side below, specifically in cloud color. The upper side features yellow cirrus clouds, whilst the bottom side features completely white cirrus clouds. The bottom side also has a lower resolution in comparison to the upper side. This default sky is full of visual imperfections. One such imperfection is a small, white dot that can be located on the lower side of the skybox. It has been speculated that the reason for this "imperfection" is because the white dot was actually a celestial body that came with the skybox in the original download. To many people, the 2003 Roblox Default Sky appears unsettling or uncanny. This is due to the fact that it is low resolution, and has a grainy appearance, as well as the yellowed color of the upper clouds. In general, there is something in the atmosphere of these images that give it the feeling it is capable of inducing unto those who view it. Second Incarnation ( 2009 - 2013 ) In September 2009, the Roblox sky received it's first upgrade. After six years, Roblox decided to drop use of the iconic G3D sky in favor of a cleaner, more realistic skybox. The change was not random - it was, in fact, part of an update known as the Sky Makeover Update, an update that introduced other graphical improvements to the sky, such as changing the appearance of the celestial bodies, and introducing a new feature that allowed developers to set the amount of stars that appear in the night sky. It is unknown whether the Roblox team designed this sky themselves, or whether they acquired it from a new version of G3D. However, it is clear that this default sky was trying to imitate the older incarnation, in a cleaner and more modern fashion. Appearance The 2009 Roblox Default Sky is a clean, moderate-resolution skybox that somewhat bears resemblance to the older incarnation of the Roblox skybox. It consists of six images depicting a clear blue skybox with white and orange cirrocumulus clouds. Like the previous incarnation, it is separated into two sides; the upper side featuring orange-tinted clouds, and the lower side featuring white clouds, however, the lower side has much more cloud cover than the upper side. The two sides are also separated by a seam, however, this seam is much smaller and less significant than the one in the previous incarnation. The previous Roblox skybox featured multiple imperfections and had an extremely grainy texture. However, this incarnation was quite the opposite. It has a clean and crisp feel, with slight blur applied, and streamlined texture devoid of any imperfection. Indeed, it was a large improvement over the previous incarnation. Third Incarnation ( 2013 - 2014 ) In January(?) 2013, Roblox dropped use of the second incarnation of the default sky, in favor for a drastically different skybox. This skybox had a far more cartoon-like and childish feel, as opposed to the previous skyboxes, both of which had a more realistic and "mature" appearance. However, it quickly was changed, as this skybox was also the shortest-used Roblox default sky to date, being used for only the entirety of 2013 and early 2014 until being swapped out. This skybox is probably the most-disliked Roblox default skybox ( excluding the original incarnation ). However, it is viewed passively by nostalgic players who joined in 2013. Appearance The 2013 Roblox Default Sky was extremely different in appearance from the previous two incarnations of the Roblox skybox. Probably the largest difference is that it purposely was designed to look like an "oil painting" with a cartoon feel, much like the kind of artwork that would appeal to young children. It consists of six images depicting a light blue sky with white cumulus clouds near the horizon. Sunrays can be seen being cast off of these clouds from the bottom into the lower part of the skybox. Directly below, the skybox contains wispy, scattered cirrus clouds covering the entire area. The top image of the skybox is completely clear. This skybox is also the brightest skybox Roblox has used to date. In full, it consists only of light blue and clear white colors. Fourth Incarnation ( 2014 - Present ) After just a year a half, Roblox dropped use of the 2013 incarnation of the default skybox. This was the shortest time a default skybox was ever used on Roblox. The reason for the quick replacement of the previous skybox was probably due to negative views relating to the cartoon theme of the artwork. The skybox that replaced the previous default sky is currently being used, and is the present-day Roblox Default Sky. This skybox is also the most realistic Roblox default sky to date. Part of why it took a realistic approach is probably due to the fact that the entire game itself was taking a slightly more realistic approach. Appearance The 2014 Roblox Default Sky is the cleanest, and highest quality default sky that Roblox has ever used to date. It is also the most realistic. It consists of six images depicting a clear, blue sky, with small, grey and fluffy cumulus clouds scattered around. Like the previous three incarnations of the default sky, it is separated into two sides. One side, the upper side, has normal clouds, while the lower side has an intense blur applied, making the clouds look more like blobs. Unlike the previous skyboxes, this sky is not separated by a visible seam. Instead, it is separated by an abundance of tiny clouds near the horizon. Trivia This section is a trivia section. Valid Information that would otherwise clutter up the main page, or minor information not related to Old Roblox is located and put here. * The 2014 upgrade to the Roblox default sky caused many developers to stop using a custom skybox in their game in favor of using the default sky. * It is possible to change the appearance of the Roblox default sky local-side by going inside the game files and swapping the skybox images for your desired textures. See also * Sun * Moon * Stars Category:Skybox Category:Quality Articles Category:Feature